And robert b



(ModeL) I. & R. B.'BANISTER.

- SHOE FASTENER. No. 256,453. Patented Apr. 18,1882.

WITNESSES. INVENTEIRE. I

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ISAAC BANISTER, o- NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, AND ROBERT B. BANISTER, or PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SHOE-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 256,453, dated April 18, 1882.

Appllcation filed December 5, 1881.

To all whom it may concern 4 Be it known that we, ISAAC BANISTER, a residentof Newark, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, and ROBERT B. BANISTER, a resident of Providence, county of Providence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe Fasteners and we dohereby declare the follow-- ing to be a full,.clear, and exact description of the object being to provide a more effective,

simple, and durable article, and withal one which may be manufactured at the lowest price and be easy upon the foot of the wearer.

This invention is designed to be an improvementupon those which have preceded it, whereby certain disadvantages hereinaftermore particularl y referred to are overcome, and is simple, durable, and cheap, forming a very convenient fastening for ov-ershoes, for which purpose it is especially intended.

The accompanying drawings fully illustrate the invention, which will he hereinafter further and more definitely described, and finally embodied in the claim.

Figures 1 and 2 are perspective views of our improved device as attached to the straps or quarters of a shoe, the former showing the device when clasped and the latter when unclasped. Figs. 3 and 4 represent detached portions, and Fig. 5 a section taken through line a: m of Fig. 3, similar letters of reference indicating like parts in each of the several figures.

Our improved device is composed of a loopplate, 0, base plate A, provided at one end with the cross-head at, its opposite end being.

(Model) ment with the rounded or hooked end of the aforesaid plate a, all as hereinafter more fully described, and for the purpose set forth.

In carrying out our invention we form the bottom or base plateA with a slot, at, and crosshead a at'one end, thelatter forming a pivot, upon which the tongue or clasp B is hinged, as fully illustrated in the several figures. The opposite'end of the plate A is returned,as at b, Figs. 3 and 5, forming a book, which projects through the material of which the strap or quarter of the shoe is composed, as indicated in Fig. 2, serving to secure it firmly thereto, as will be manifest.

The, tongue or clasp B, which is hinged at one end to the base-plate A, as above described and as shown, is returned at its opposite end toward the inner or under-side thereof, and is adapted in closing to engage with the end of the base-plate A at b by hooking downwardly thereover and leaving-the top or outer surface of the fastening device perfectly smooth and free from any obstruction calculated to catch into or interfere with the clothing of the wearer, all as plainly indicated in the drawings.

The base-plate A may be perforated, as at c, and have scalloped edges, if desired, as indi cated in Fig. 3, in order to afford additional means for securing it to the strap or quarter of the shoe.

We have also provided a plate, 0, formed into a series of loops, to be secured to the opposite strap or quarter of the shoe, as indiv cated in Figs. 1 and 2, to afford means for shortening or lengthening (letting out or taking up) the device to accommodate differentsized insteps, as will be readily understood.

The device, as indicated in the drawings, is

designed to be composed of thin plates and to be inserted'and secured between the outer portion of the shoe and the lining thereof, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, though this is not absolutely essential, as it may be applied in any appropriate manner. slightly curved to conform to the shape of the instep, and, being thin, are somewhat elastic and not cumbersome.

The mode of operating the device is plainly indicated in the drawings, and is as follows:

The plates A B U are The tongue or clasp B, being inserted in one of I00 Fig. 2. It is then pressed downward and sprung.

over the end of the base-plate A, as indicated in Fig. 1, which is rounded, as will be observedby reference to Figs. 3 and 5, to receive it, and is thereby firmly held in position. When requiredit may be easily unfastened by the thumb and finger, as the hook (I on the end of the tongue B needs to and should be turned inward but very slightly in order to hold the parts into engagement, as will be obvious from their shape and by reference more particularly to Figs. 1 and 5.

We are aware that previous to our application there have been made and patented other fasteners constructed and operating in some respects somewhat similar to ours; but the tongues or clasps thereof are held into engagement by means of a spring or by other means, so that their free ends do not in fastening engage with the base-plate by booking over the end thereof, which in ours is a necessary feature to hold the device closed, but are liable in many cases to catch into the clothing and so become troublesome. The springs also are liable to get out of order or break, and in some cases the tongues can only be partially opened when in the act of fastening or unfastening, which renders them more or less objectionable. In our device the tongue will throw entirely open, or as far back as may be desired, thus greatly facilitating the operation of fastening and unfastening, as will be readily understood by reference to Fig. 5.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and wish to have secured by Letters Patent, is-

A shoe-fastener composed of the loop-plate O, base-plate A, provided at one end with the cross-head a,its opposite end being returned to form ahook and adapted to projectthrough the leather or other material, as described, and the tongueor clasp B, hinged to the said cross-head, and having its free end returned, as shown and described, and adapted to pass through said loop-plate G and be sprung over and held into engagement with the rounded or hooked end of the aforesaid plate A, all in the manner and for the purposes set forth.

ISAAC BANlSlER. ROBERT E. BANIS'LER.

Witnesses:

M. W. GARDINER, J12, HIRAM G. MYERS. 

